Analysis: Bittersweet day for Princeton High boys' soccer

EWING — Kevin Halliday didn’t exactly know how to describe the feeling but the best he could describe it was part elation and part confusion.

“I’m so happy we got the state championship but it’s different sharing it,” the Little Tigers’ standout junior midfielder said. “I guess I wanted one for us alone.”

Halliday and his Princeton High School boys’ soccer teammates had just waged an epic 100-minute battle with undefeated Ramapo – the North I Group III champions and No. 1 team in the state per The Star-Ledger – but were forced to “settle” for a share of the NJSIAA Group III title after the scoreboard at The College of New Jersey read 1-1 following a pair of overtimes.

“It’s a little different but it’s still a state championship,” Princeton head coach Wayne Sutcliffe conceded about capturing the school’s third state title.

“It’s what the NJSIAA wants. I’d prefer another 10-minute overtime and then another one. Let us decide it on the field. I don’t think (penalty kicks) are fair. We’re still state champions. I’m so proud of our guys. It’s been a really demanding season with the hurricane and the injuries. The postseason tournament was just very demanding on all of them. There’s 12 seniors and they gave us everything they have.”

And while Princeton received contributions from its seniors all over their field, perhaps none stepped as firmly into the spotlight as defensemen Scott Bechler.

Princeton had found itself in an early 1-0 hole when Ramapo’s Sean Ethridge headed home a throw-in 16:51 in. Behind but not bowed, Princeton gained control of the game, building momentum on scoring chances from Kevin Halliday and John Blair before the half.

That momentum carried over into the second half with Jeremy Goldsmith, Colin Lamb and Zach Halliday all registering early scoring opportunities.

Eventually, even with the Raiders’ phenomenal goalkeeper, Will Shiel, putting on a dazzling display in the net, Princeton was going to break through.

“At halftime we knew what was coming,” Bechler said. “We had more shots than they did. We wanted it just as much or more than they did. It was just a matter of time before we tied it.”

Bechler found himself in prime position to head home a perfectly placed Chase Ealy cross.

Ealy, a sophomore standout, was in the hospital last week with a 104-degree fever, didn’t play in the Group III semifinal win over Moorestown and didn’t get back to practice until Friday.

“All season long I’ve been crashing the back post hoping that one time it would slip through,” Bechler said. “I saw (Colin Lamb’s) head and I was just hoping that he’d miss it. No one was marking me so I knew that if he the ball got to me it was going in.”

It was just the third goal of the season for Bechler and by far the biggest of his career.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Hands down. Definitely. I don’t have many but this is definitely the biggest.”

Amazingly, he almost topped it 14 minutes later.

With 3:46 to play, Bechler unleashed a sinking, knuckling rocket from about 25 yards out that Shiel had to raise up and redirect just before crossing the goal line.

“That was the best shot of my life,” Bechler said with a laugh. “I don’t know how he saved it. At practice, as a defender, I’m kind of always goofing off trying to hit the ball as hard as I can to see if it goes in. This time it had some weird spin and bent crazily but somehow the goalie got a hand on it.”

And even if it wasn’t 100 percent fulfilling, Princeton still managed to perform the feat it set out to accomplish: to get their hands on some hardware.

“That’s the hardest game I’ve ever played right there,” Halliday said.

“It’s great that we’re both state champions but I think both teams are a little let down. No one wants to end the state championship like that. But we’ll take it.”